[size=18][b]God [/b][/size]has been telling His people both in the Old and New Testament to "search the Scriptures:"
[size=12][i]Isaiah 34:16 [/i][/size][b]"Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them."[/b]
[i]John 5:39 [/i][b]"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life..."[/b]
[u]There are two views on the "search."[/u]
One is for people to "burn the midnight oil," so to speak, spending time, effort, and everything trying to understand the Scriptures.
[i][b]The other is to be "converted into a "little child" reading the Holy Bible, and waiting for God to give the great revelation of His words.
See for yourself which classification you belong. The distinction may be illustrated in the following. Example in the Old Testament:[/b][/i]
[size=18][b]God [/b][/size]speaking of the deliverance from slavery of His chosen people:
[i]Exodus 3:8 [/i]"And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites."
[i]How do the great men and known authority of the Holy Bible explain the foregoing? We heard them say, [/i]"The Israelites, the chosen people of [size=18][b]God[/b][/size], were in Egypt as slaves. [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] wanted them to go to Canaan , the Promised Land, that they would be free. There they would have their own king. It was a fertile land that [size=18][b]God [/b][/size]called it "flowing with milk and honey." Perhaps that is all that we heard from our preachers.
[i][b]"As little children," the real Christians recognize their "nothingness." They, therefore, depend on [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] alone and nothing more. They ask [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] like "little children." First, they ask [size=18][b]God[/b][/size]on how to read the Holy Bible. [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] answers them in: [/b][/i]
[i]Isaiah 28:10 [/i][b]"For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"[/b]
[i]They would ask, "Is it not book by book? Or, chapter by chapter? Or, verse by verse? And, take the context of the story?" As if God is answering: "You yourself know that in the beginning the Holy Bible was not divided into books, chapters, or verses. It was only in 1228 A.D. that the Bible was divided into chapters by Stephen Langton. The Old Testament was divided into verses by R. Nathan in 1448 A.D., and the New Testament by Rob ert Stephanus in 1551 A.D. [b]How could you now say you depend on Me[/b] [i]when you are following the ways of [u][b]men[/b][/u]?"[/i][/i]
[u]SAMPLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT -- SPIRITUAL SLAVERY [/u]
The real Christians now ask [size=18][b]God[/b][/size], "Lord, following your way, how do you explain deliverance from slavery in Egypt , and bringing your people to the land flowing with milk and honey?"
As if [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] is saying, "To you slavery is political bondage. You must remember that I am speaking ‘spiritual things.’Do you still remember when I talked about freedom? Did I refer to political freedom?"
[size=12][i]John 8:32 [/i][/size][b]"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."[/b]
It is very clear that [size=18][b]God[/b][/size], indeed, is speaking spiritual things. Man is limited only to literal-physical things. [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] is after the "spirit in the word." Man is limited only to the "letter in the word."
[i]2 Corinthians 3:6[/i] [b]"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."[/b]
To simply take the "letter of the word," the incident happened in the past - no more. But to take the "spirit in the word," the word of [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] is "still alive" in our time. The Israelites were the chosen people of . Who were the equivalent during the time of our Lord? Were they not the Disciples? How did Christ deliver the Disciples from "spiritual slavery?" According to Him, "By teaching them the truth." Who was the equivalent of Pharaoh and his sidekicks? Who were taking the Jews away from the truth? Were they not the Scribes and the religious leaders? Today, it is very easy to identity the different characters!
[u]"THE PROMISED LAND" [/u]
Man’s understanding of land is the soil or ground from where plants and trees are growing. [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] however is speaking of spiritual land in the following:
[i]Genesis 3:19 "[/i]... [b]till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."[/b]
[i]Genesis 18:27 [/i]"[b]And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:"[/b]
"Land" therefore symbolizes man! Who, now, is that "good land" that is "flowing with milk and honey?"[i][b] If land symbolizes man, there is actually no good land for there is not any good man:[/b][/i]
[i]Romans 3:10-12 [/i]"...[b]There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."[/b]
[u][b]However, there is a "portion of the land" that is holy.[/b][/u]
[i]Ezekiel 45:1[/i] [b]"Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land..."[/b]
[b]There is only one "good man" though who knows no sin. This is [size=18]Jesus Christ[/size], the man: [/b]
[i]1 Timothy 2:5[/i][b]"For there is one [size=18]God[/size], and one mediator between [size=18]God[/size] and men, the man [size=18]Christ Jesus[/size];"[/b]
When [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] delivered His people from slavery in Egypt and brought them to Canaan , the Promised Land, that is all that many people see in the word of[size=18][b]God[/b][/size]However, [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] is speaking "spiritual things."
[i]1 Corinthians 2:13 [/i]"[b]Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."[/b]
As [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] explained through His words, the Promised Land is Jesus Christ. Truly so, the deserving to the Promised Land are only the following:
[i]Galatians 3:29 [/i]"[b]And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."[/b]
The Jews while they occupied the physical Canaan , for being the physical descendants of Abraham, they did not, however "occupy the spiritual Promised Land." They rejected [size=18][b]JESUS CHRIST [/b][/size]because they did not recognize Him ([b][i]John 8:19 , 54-55[/i][/b])!
[i]Romans 9:6 [/i]"[b]Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel , which are of Israel :"[/b]
[u]"LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY"[/u]
The Promised Land was flowing with milk and honey. To take the word of God literally, He would have lied for no such things had the Israelites found on the land.
If [size=18][b]Jesus Christ[/b][/size] is the spiritual Promised Land, "spiritual milk" is what Peter wrote about. Truly so, [size=18][b]Jesus Christ [/b][/size]is the Word of [size=18][b]God[/b][/size] (Revelation 19:13 ):
[i]1 Peter 2:2 [/i]"[b]As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:"[/b]
"Spiritual milk" for the word of [size=18][b]God [/b][/size]refers to the literal word. The "letter of the word" is all that man understands with his intellect and feeling. This makes him MORALLY UPRIGHT and RELIGIOUS.
[u][b]Much sweeter than milk is honey. Honey is the spiritual word. [/b][/u]
[i]Psalms 119:103 "[/i][b]How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"[/b]
[b]This is what our [size=18][b]Lord[/b][/size] kept on pounding to His disciples -- His spiritual word. If following the "letter of the word" cleanses the OUTSIDE, the spiritual word cleanses the INSIDE as well. [/b]
From the foregoing explanation of God of His words, through His very words, the story of Moses, slavery in Egypt, deliverance from slavery, crossing the Red Sea, wandering in the wilderness with Manna as food and water sprouting from the Rock, crossing the Jordan River and, finally, the occupation of the Promised Land, now give a very deep dimension to the real Christians.
Only [size=18][b]God[/b][/size], not any [u][i][b]man[/b][/i][/u], can truly explain His words!
Who can decipher the language of [b][size=18]God[/size][/b]? Who can explain the word of [b][size=18]God[/size][/b] that are like "prophecies" that will all come to pass? The aforementioned parables are only samples of how [b][size=18]God[/size][/b] deciphers His language. We have seen how the message of [b][size=18]God[/size][/b] in the Old Testament and New Testament do not differ after He has deciphered His language.
Truly so, since "In the beginning...the Word was with [b][size=18]God[/size][/b] and the Word was [b][size=18]God[/size][/b] (John 1:1)" and " [b][size=18]God[/size][/b]does not change (Malachi 3:6)," we do not expect that the spiritual message of the word of [b][size=18]God[/size][/b]also changes. It is only with man’s perception that [u][i]theology[/i][/u] was invented and [u][i]exegesis[/i][/u] was conceived to try to reconcile the word of [b][size=18]God[/size][/b]with present day circumstances.
[b]All of these are but human wisdom that [b][size=18]God[/size][/b][u]condemns.[/u] [/b]
www.purechristianity.org

almario,
This is good, you are here, by the use of exegesis of the text, interpreting Scripture. You even injected hermeneutics when you wrote: "much sweeter than milk is honey. Honey is the spiritual word."
The term "milk" does not appear here in Psalms 119:73. The psalmist uses the noun "precepts" in verse 104. The study of God's words gave him the power of discerment to reject the false teaching and laxity of conduct. Are we to do any less?
Jesus would say to the Jew's who were constintely bagering him on His idenity. "Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keep the law. Why?
Now, with this question "Why?" we have to search the Scripture, we must exegete the text for the answer "Why?"
These Jewish rulers who were supposed to "sit in Moses' seat" and teach the Word of God so that God might be glorified, rather taught and practiced religion in such a manner that they might be glorified. We see this today in TV evanglists. "Look at me!"
It was, a fact, the Jewish rulers envied the honor that the people paid Jesus. It was this envy that drove them to crucify Him (Matt. 27:18; John 11:47-50, 12: 17-19). Jesus always gave honor and glory to God, the One who sent Him (John 5:41-44).
Jesus shows the inconsistency of the rulers judgment about the "Sabbath Law. To know this we must research John 5:1-18 where He had made a man whole on the Sabbath and "they sought to kill him." "Why?"
The Pharisees were fond of making Sabbath rules (not legislated by Mosaic law) for the people to be burdened with, while they themselves used all sorts of devious means to get around their own traditions. Sabbath regulations were not for the rulers.
According to the Law of Moses, every male child had to be circumsied on the eighth day after his birth. Even if the eighth day fell on the Sabbath, the priests performed the rite of circumcision.
"Why?" The argument of Jesus is,
if the priests and rulers permit the work of circumcision to be done on the Sabbath that the Law of Moses be not broken---how can they be so unrighteous and prejudiced as to prohibit the healing of a man's body and soul on the Sabbath?
God did not create man merly to keep Sabbath regulations, but the Sabbath was given for man's benefit. There are principles and actions which are higher, and must supercede Sabbath regulations. God works on the Sabbath. He sends rain, sunshine, life and many other necessary things on the seventh day. So it was proper that the Son of God heal and teach on the Sabbath.
A lifetime of studying the Bible is of no avail if a man's will and desire is out of harmony with God will. Paul said the same thing in 1 Corinthians 2:6 through 3:9. The rebellious, carnal-minded man cannot discern the things of the Spirit, because the wordly-minded man has no desire to do God's will. These Jewish rulers, to whom Jesus spoke, had studied the Old Testament from their youth up---hour upon hour, year after year---but they did not comprehend that Jesus spoke God's word for they had no desire to do God's word.
This is why men today refuse to obey Peter's command at Pentecost.
They have decided to do as the Jews of Jesus' day: follow the traditions of men.

Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation, and Exegesis is the pratical appliance of the rules or principles of this science in determining the intended message of the author.

[size=18]During the time of Christ, we read how Satan tried to disturb and upset the works of our Lord. We are the witnesses. True to what &#8220;is written&#8221; truth yesterday is also truth today. [/size]